This invention deals with the massage and mobilization of the soft body tissue of the bodies of human and similar species. The invention has special use in the treatment of soft tissue injuries common with athletic activity although not limited thereto. When the soft body tissue of a human is subjected to trauma, overuse, etc., the connective tissue (fascia) underlying the skin may be affected, and this and other reasons can cause inelastic fibrous adhesions between the layers of the myofascial system that prevent normal muscle mechanics and decrease soft tissue extensibility and can lead to further injury. Historically, the treatment of such aforementioned conditions is by hand manipulation and massage of the affected soft tissue area by a clinician such as an athletic trainer, etc. by either using his/her hands or manipulating various rigid tools or instruments having fixed straight edges or curvatures shaped to conform to different parts of the body. Such tools can increase the mechanical advantage for the clinician and can reduce the stress on the clinician's hands—however, this approach requires the purchase of variously sized instruments to conform to the different areas of the body as well as bodies of various sizes.
Many different hand held instruments are available for use to assist with soft tissue mobilization. These instruments are available in different shapes and sizes and are constructed from different materials including plastic, bone, ceramic and stainless steel. When using an instrument, the clinician must choose an instrument with a shape that is compatible to the area being treated. If the forearm, which is convex, were being treated, a concave instrument could be used that matches the shape of the forearm. This would result in uniform pressure over the soft tissue. If a flat or convex instrument were used to treat the forearm, less tissue area would be treated with each stroke of the instrument; and if the clinician used the same pressure as with the concave instrument, a greater overall pressure would be put on the tissue being treated. A concave instrument with a curve that is greater than that of the forearm would result in pressure only on the lateral edges of the forearm without contact in the center and should not be used.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a single instrument that provides the advantages of a device that would provide the desired mechanical advantage for the clinician to reduce the strain on the clinician's hands common in hand manipulation yet provides the possibility of a large number of shaped surfaces for engaging the differently shaped areas of the patient's body. A further desirable feature would be the provision of such a single instrument which is of simple, relatively low cost construction and which does not require a dedicated inventory and carrying kit.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the provision of an instrument hand manipulable by a clinician for the mobilization and massage of the soft tissue of the human body, said instrument comprising an elongated generally straight rod-like body having opposite terminal first and second ends, said body having at least one longitudinally extending treatment edge, said body formed of a relatively flexible material such that the body may be bent to a generally U-shaped configuration bend when said ends are grasped and downwardly bent by the clinician such that said bend conforms to the configuration of the body part being manipulated such that said at least one treatment edge contacts said body part which subsequently may be massaged by the movement of the instrument across the body part surface by the clinician.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.